Board game apparatus

ABSTRACT

A competitive game of skill and chance is played by two or more players. The broad aspect of the game features investment in land and prospecting for oil with associated economic activity. The apparatus employed embodies a hollow game board with a defined chamber in which magnets may be arranged in a concealed random fashion. Coacting magnetic oil prospecting and indicator devices are employed by the players in an interesting and amusing manner and with great realism. In another embodiment, the prospecting device arenot magnetic but have movable shafts which pass through openings in the board and may engage one of the magnets. The game also features a wide variety of simulated business transactions and options which test the skill and wisdom of players.

United States Patent Potts et al.

Apr. 2, 1974 BOARD GAME APPARATUS Inventors: Ronald G. Potts, 22 MapleLn.,

Galveston, Tex. 77550; Clinton E. Word, 1612 Travis Ct., Lamarque, Tex.77568 Filed: July 13, 1972 Appl. No.: 271,404

U. s.c1. ..T.273/134AE,273/134AF,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Primary ExaminerDelbert B. LoweAttorney, Agent, or Firm-B. P. Fishburne, Jr.

[57] ABSTRACT A competitive game of skill and chance is played by two ormore players. The broad aspect of the game features investment in landand prospecting for oil with associated economic activity. The apparatusemployed embodies a hollow game board with a defined chamber in whichmagnets may be arranged in a concealed random fashion. Coacting magneticoil prospecting and indicator devices are employed by the players in aninteresting and amusing manner and with great realism. In anotherembodiment, the prospecting device arenot magnetic but have movableshafts which pass through openings in the board and may engage one ofthe magnets. The game also features a wide variety of simulated businesstransactions and options which test the skill and wisdom of players.

8 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTED APR 2 I974 SHEEF 2 [IF 2 BOARD GAMEAPPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Certain table games based oneconomic activity, investment and real estate development have beendevised in the prior art and have proven to be quite popular over theyears. Several such well-known games are rather stereotyped in theirmode of play and have a tendency to be monotonous after a short time.

The objective of this invention is to provide an improved game of thetype in question which is considerably more challenging to the playersand much more interesting, and which is based to a great extent onskill, while embodying an element of chance.

In addition to the movement of game pieces or tokens along a given pathfor a given number of spaces following the rolling of dice by players,the present game allows each player the opportunity to perform a varietyof interesting and realistic business transactions, such as investing inpotentially oil-rich real estate, borrowing capital and realizing anincome return from certain investments Additionally, the game featuresstructural components including magnetic elements within a unique gameboard and coacting oil prospecting and oil detecting devices used by theplayers at their option to discover oil and to establish producingwells, pipe lines and refineries. This latter aspect of the game isbelieved to be particularly unique and interesting and allows adult orchild players to experience excitement and amusement while exercising anincreasing degree of skill in using the magnetic components of the gameapparatus. With all of the above varied action and play, the gamemaintains a generally simple mode of play and is not too complex to keepthe interest of both young and old players.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The board on which the game is played has aterritorial map imprinted on its upper face and this map is sub-dividedinto regions each having a distinct color for identification, and eachcolor region is further subdivided into areas which are numberedconsecutively and suitably labeled to indicate a purchase price for eacharea of a region.

Surrounding the central map area of the board is a marginal play pathdivided into small spaces or squares and groups of these spaces arecolored to match the colored regions of the center territorial map. Thesquares or spaces of the play path are consecutively numbered to matchthe numbers of the sub-divided areas in the several color regions of theterritorial map. Game pieces of individual players of the game in response to rolling of dice are advanced in one direction around thenumbered spaces of the marginal play path, the number of spaces advancedbeing determined by the dice. Optionally, a player may make certainbusiness transactions according to the rules of the game in lieu ofadvancing his piece when the dice are rolled. With respect to the colorcoding of the play path and territorial map, the position of the playerspiece on a particular color will determine the region of the map wherehe or she can purchase land or conduct other business, such asprospecting for oil or establishing a refinery under the rules of thegame. Similarly, the position of a given players game piece on a givencolor of the play path will determine that player's obligation to arival player who owns the correspondingly numbered land area of amatching color region on the map. Other refinements, such as bonussituations embodied in the game, will be fully described in the detaileddescription.

In terms of structure, the folding game board is hollow and has aninternal chamber matching the shape of the territorial map. Obviously,this map and chamber shape is a variable and the game board may exhibitany selected geographical area, preferably an area known to contain oil,such as the State of Texas. Several permanent magnet elements areprovided for introduction into the internal concealed board chamberthrough entrance slots at the hinge joint of the board, such slotsbecoming closed when the board is in its flat playing position and themagnet elements then being captive within the chamber. The magnetelements are randomly arranged within the chamber with respect to themap color regions and sub-divided numbered and price labeled areas.

The game apparatus embodies an oil prospecting instrument (seismograph)in the form of a magnetic compass and acoacting oil drilling rig orindicator which responds to magnetism from the hidden magnetic elementsin the game board chamber. These accessories are used by players tolocate oil fields and to discover the precise location of oil deposits.Additional components representative of oil well derricks, oilrefineries, pipe lines and banks are provided for use by the playersunder the rules of the game. The players also have markers which areplaced on purchased land to indicate ownership. Other details will bedescribed hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIGURES FIG. 1 is a plan view of a gameboard employed as a part of the game apparatus of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a composite perspective view of other components of the gameapparatus.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the game board in folded condition andshowing magnet elements adapted to enter an internal chamber of theboard.

FIG. 4 is an additional plan view of the game board, partly broken away,to show a part of the internal chamber and the random positioning ofmagnet elements therein.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section through the gameapparatus taken substantially on line 5-5 of FIG. 4 and illustrating theuse of a magnetically responsive indicator.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the indivcator in relationto sub-divided areas of the board.

FIG. 7 is a composite view in cross section of a modified form ofindicator.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to the drawings in detail wherein likenumerals designate like parts, the numeral 10 designates a, game boardof square configuration when opened into a flat playing position asshown in FIG. 1. The game board is formed in two rectangular halfsections which are hingedly connected so as to render the board foldablein the manner depicted in FIG. 3. The printed playing surface or topface of the game board shown in FIG. 1 is arranged innermost or hiddenwhen the board is folded. I

The playing face of the board shown in FIG. 1 comprises a centralgeographical or map portion indicated by the heavy border line 11 inFIG. 1 as the State of Texas. Any other geographical or territorial areacould be utilized, if desired, such'as the State of Oklahoma, or theoutline of some foreign state, preferably where oil is known to exist.The geographical area 11 is divided into several regions 12, 13, 14, 15,16 and 17 and the shapes of these regions are defined by the heavyborder line 1 1 and by printed interior vertical and horizontal regionlines 18 and 19. While six regions of a random size and shape have beenindicated within the boundaries of the geographical area 1 1, it shouldbe understood that the number, shape and size of these regions may vary,as indeed the shape and size of the entire geographical area representedon the board is subject to change, as explained.

As indicated, each region 12 through 17 is further subdivided intomostly rectangular zones or plots and these zones or plots areconsecutively numbered throughout the entire area 11. For example, inthe region 12, the zones or plots are numbered consecutively 1 through11 and in the region 17 the plots are numbered 49 through 55 with asimilar numbering arrangement in all of the other regions. Additionally,each region 12 through 17 is in a distinct color on the game board,different from the color of every other region within the area 11.

The game board playing face further comprises a marginal piay pathsurrounding the geographical area 11 and this play path is divided intoa multiplicity of equally sized play spaces or squares 20. Groups of thespaces 20 are colored to correspond with the coloring of the regions 12through 17 and this color coding forms an important feature which willbe fully described in connection with the rules of play. Moreparticularly, a first group of play spaces 20, numbered consecutively 1through 1 1, is colored to correspond to the region 12 whose zones orplots are numbered 1 through 11. Continuing clockwise around themarginal play path, the next group of play spaces 20 is colored tocorrespond with the coloring of the region 13 and the spaces 20 of thisgroup are consecutively numbered 12 through 20 to correspond to thenumbering of plots in the region 13. This distinctive coloring of groupsof the play spaces 20 and the consecutive numbering thereof around themargin of the board continue so that there will be a consecutivelynumbered and distinctly colored group of spaces 20 for each coloredregion 12 through 17 of the geographical area 11.

The playing face of the board also has square corner areas 21 printedthereon in accordance with details of the game to be described. Forexample, one of these corner areas constitutes a starting point formovement of the player tokens, to be described, around. the marginalplay path. The indicia in the corner areas 21 may be varied but ingeneral will contain the names of industrial organizations relevant tothe subject matter of the game. At one point on the game board, an area22 designated "test well is provided and a small permanent magnet disc23, for a purpose to be described, is located within the area 22. At twoother locations, rectangular areas 24 and 25 designated state treasury"and loan department are provided and the use of these features in thegame will be described. Likewise, at various points around the marginalplay path having the spaces 20, special spaces with printed legends orpictorial indicia are provided, and each of these special spaces has asignificant use in connection with the playing of the game, as will bedescribed. Examples of the special spaces referred to are lottery," seeloan department," and a picture of a steer. The exact arrangement andplacing of these special spaces may be varied. The several pictures ofsteers represent cattle markets, for example.

The game board 10 is hollow and contains a normally concealed interiorchamber 26 of the same configuration as the geographical area 11 andcoinciding therewith exactly when the board is open for play. Theirregular margin of the chamber 26 following the heavy line 11 is formedby a filler plate 27, preferably adhesively bonded between top andbottom panels 28 and 29, the upper panel 28 containing the playing faceof the board already described.

As best shown in FIG. 3, when the game board is folded with the playingface innermost, a pair of entrance slots 30 are exposed for thereception or removal of a plurality of permanent magnet discs 31 whichform important components of the game apparatus. These magnet discs mayvary in number but as a rule approximately five discs are ideal to makethe game sufficiently challenging to adult players. For child players,the number of magnet discs may be reduced.

While the magnet discs 31 are placed at random in the chamber 26 and arelater scrambled therein to unknown positions in the concealed chamber,FIG. 4, the discs are preferably coated on one side only with a tackycoating 32 of rubber-like material so that the magnet discs will nottend to slide around in the chamber 26 once positioned therein and whilethe game is in play. However, the nature of this coating is such thatthe magnet discs can initially be shaken up in the chamber 26 for arandom spacing of discs, as depicted in F IG. 4. It will be noted thatthe size of the discs 31 prevents them from flipping over once they areproperly inserted in the chamber 26 with their coated sides lowermostfor contact with the bottom panei 29. The permanent magnet discs arecarefully pretested to assure that corresponding magnetic poles thereofface upwardly in the chamber 26. This is important in connection with anindicator device used by the players simulating an oil drilling rig andindicated generally by the numeral 33. The indicator device, to bedescribed, contains a movable element operated by magnetism and for thisreason the proper orientation of the permanent magnet discs 31 isrequired.

The indicator device 33 simulating an oil drilling rig consists of asuitably ornamented housing 34 formed of plastic or the like and havinga cylindrical bore 35 with a reduced diameter coaxial top opening 36. Anindicator pin 37 projects through the opening 36 which serves as a guidefor the pin and the lower end of the pin carries a head or disc 38either in the form of a magnet or of paramagnetic material. The disc 38is arranged relative to each permanent magnet disc 31 in the chamber 26so that when the indicator 33 is directly above, or nearly above, one ofthe discs 31, its head 38 will be repelled magnetically by the adjacentmagnet disc 31 and the indicator pin 37 will rise under magneticinfluence to approximately the broken line position in FIG. 5 showing orindicating the presence of oil at a particular numbered plot in one ofthe regions 12 through 17. The

chamber 26 will always confine the magnet discs 31 within the borders ofgeographical area 11 so that the player utilizing the indicator device33 will locate oil within the boundaries of the area 11 when one of themagnets 31 is encountered beneath the indicator.

Prior to using the indicator device 33, a player will rent and use theseismograph (compass) indicated by the numeral 39. This device is simplyslid over the surface .of the geographical area 11 and the compassneedle 40 will indicate the probable direction and location of oildeposits due to the action of the concealed magnets 31 on the compassneedle. The use of the device 39 requires some skill if a reliablereading is to be obtained and this skill is attained increasingly withpractice. The compass can be pretested with the permanent magnet 23prior to use to determine how the compass needle is affected orattracted by a magnet. A particular player who has rented the device 39will then shift it about on one of the sub-divided regions 12 through 17in attempting to learn the presence or absence of oil in this region andthe general location of the oil.

The game apparatus additionally comprises six tokens 41, one for eachplayer in a distinct color for each player, six players being the usualmaximum number. Only one token is shown in the drawings for simplicity.Five oil derricks 42 are provided in each game along with fiverefineries 43, preferably shaped as illustrated. Twenty discs 44indicative of pipe lines are provided and 20 additional discs 45 areincluded indicating banks on one side, as shown, and ranches on theother side, not shown, by a picture of a steer or steers head. Ninetyowner markers 46 are included in the game, of each color embodied in thetokens 41. These markers are preferably thin squares with circularopenings in the center of a size to receive the bases of oil derricks42, refineries 43 or the discs 44 or 45, for convenience and so that theusers or owners of derricks, refineries, pipe lines, etc., can bereadily identified during play; that is, these elements will be tied upwith owner markers of a definite color.

Additionally, the apparatus embodies a conventional pair of dice, notshown; twenty bank loan department cards, not shown; preferably6,000,000 dollars in paper play money, not shown; and six price charts,one for each player, not shown, containing renting fees for equipmentand development and income information pertinent to the game.

FIG. 7 shows a modification of the drilling rig or indicator device,previously described. In the modification, the device is mechanicalrather than magnetic. The game board 10' is identical to the previouslydescribed board 10 except that the upper panel 28' is apertured in thecenter of each nui'nbered subdivision or plot of each colored region 12through 17, such apertures being shown at 47 in FIG. 7. The modifiedboard has the previously described chamber 26 in which the magnet discs31 are still used in conjunction with the seismograph 39 to locate oil.The mechanical indicator proper shown at 48 includes a housing 49 havingan indicator pin 50 slidably mounted therein with the top of the pincapable of projecting above the top of the housing 49 as shown in FIG.7b to indicate an oil strike. The indicator pin has an intermediate head51 slidable within a bore 52 of the housing and the lower end portion 53of the indicator pin projects below the housing when the indicator islifted and held in the hand as shown in FIG. 7a. When searching for oil,the player introduces the pin extension 53 through various ones of theopenings 47 in the board. If no disc 31 is adjacent to the particularopening 47 being tested, the top of the pin 50 will not rise to indicatean oil strike when the indicator is bottomed on the board or on top of amarker 46. However, the dimensions are such that if a disc 31 is presentwhen the indicator 48 is placed down on the board or on a marker, thetop of the pin 50 will rise, as

'shown in FIG. 7b, to indicate an oil strike. Thus the mechanicalindicator 48 serves the identical purpose in the game as themagnetically operated indicator 33. Instead of being slid over the gameboard as described with the indicator 33, the indicator 48 is lifted andmoved about by the player who inserts the lower pin extension 53downwardly through various openings 47 until a disc 31 is encountered toraise the indicator pin 50, as described.

In FIGS. 5 to 7, the indicators 33 and 48 are shown placed on top of thethin owner markers 46 which have been previously located on certainplots in the regions 12 through 17 to show ownership of these plots. Itmay be more convenient to remove the markers 46 temporarily from theboard when using indicators 33 or 48 but this is not essential and theowner markers may remain in place while the indicators are used asillustrated.

FIG. 6 further illustrates that the indicator is provided at the centerof its four sides and at its bottom with aligning marks 54 whose purposeis to establish that the indicator, either magnetic or mechanical, iswithin the boundaries of one numbered zone or plot 55, FIG. 6, when oilis encountered. As shown in FIG. 6, the base of the indicator mayactually be overlapping two or more numbered plots when an oil strike ismade. If two of the aligning marks 54 fall inside of a subdivision orplot of a particular region 12 to 17, then according to the rules theoil strike has been made in that particular plot 55. The numeral 55 isapplied to the numbered plots only in FIG. 6 to avoid confusion in thedrawings, particularly in FIG. 1.

PLAYING THE GAME The game is played by two or more persons, up to sixpersons preferably. Each person receives a grubstake of play money atthe start of play. The general idea of the game is to invest in landplots within the geographical area 11 and within particular coloredregions 12 through 17 of this area, as determined by the movement oftokens 41 to various colored spaces 20 along the play path in responseto rolling of the dice by each player in turn. By this land investment,boom towns are developed within the area 11 which will produce incomefor the developer enabling him to become a millionaire and thereby winthe game. In this connection, an apt name for the game is thought to bemillionaire or perhaps boom town or wildcat.

Starting play from one corner area 21, preferably the area denotedDouble E Ranch, players tokens 41 in turn are moved around the marginalplay path by a number of the spaces 20 designated by a throw of thedice. On each such turn, a player can optionally roll the dice andadvance his token on the play path or can make one business transaction,such as buying land, renting the seismograph 39 and taking readings,drilling for oil with the rig or indicator 33 or 48 or installing pipelines with discs 44 on land already owned by the player. Other optionaltransactions would be establishing refineries, banks or ranches byutilizing the pieces 45 and 43 on the board. As will be seen, theselatter transactions are carried out on so-called boom town land, a boomtown having already been established by the player in one of the regions12 to 17.

The object of this buying and development of land within the area 11 isto produce income. This income is derived in several ways in accordancewith the rules of the game. For example, after a complete traverse ofthe marginal play path made up of the spaces 20, the player, if an oilman with a producing well or wells and- /or refineries, is paidroyalties. Secondly, players must pay fees to bankers and oil menWhenever their tokens during play land on bank property or on productiveoil land as determined by the numerical markings of the spaces 20 andthe land plots within the area 11. This constitutes another source ofincome. The prices for these transactions are contained on thepreviously mentioned price charts held by the players. Another incomesource arises when a players token in the course of play stops on acattle market space along the play path designated by the head of asteer. Such player is termed a rancher and he collects money from eachboom town land owner for cattle sales if his ranch is in the same boomtown as the cattle market, again determined by the color coding of theregions 12 to 17 and along the play path.

The main objective of the game is to determine where the next oil fieldwill be discovered, followed by buying land in that vicinity and thendeveloping the land. Minor changes in the rules of the game may bedevised from time-to-time.

As already explained in some detail during the structural description ofthe game apparatus, seismograph services are purchased by players todetermine the approximate location of the nearest oil deposits. Thisinvolves the use of the compass 39. Drilling services involving use ofthe magnetic indicator 33 (drilling rig) or the corresponding mechanicalindicator 48 are purchased by players to drill test oil wells on ownedland to try to discover oil.

Players may raise additional money during play by giving the bank a lienon owned land in exchange for a money loan. The exciting, ever-changingbusiness transactions test each players skill as well as affordingamusement in a process which simulates the world of big business. Eachtime the game is played, it raises new challenges which require newdecisions and hence the interest of players is maintained.

It is believed to be unnecessary to further describe the details of playin terms of the rules of the game for a proper understanding of thestructural features upon which the appended claims are based.

It should be mentioned that in setting up the game apparatus for play,while the game board is folded, FIG. 3, the five magnets, coated sidesdown, are placed in the chamber 26 of the board. Preferably, two magnetsare introduced into one side of the chamber and three into the otherside by some neutral party. The board is and five $1,000 bills. Theplayer rolling the highest number on the dice opens play and playrotates to the left around the play path.

At the beginning of play, all tokens 41 are preferably placed at thecomer 21 designated Double E Ranch."

Each player in turn either rolls the dice and moves his token on theplay path the number of spaces 20 indicated by the dice or the playermakes one business transaction, as described. He may not do both duringa single turn. No two tokens may occupy the same space 20. If a token 41lands on an occupied space, that token must be backed up to the firstopen space. Be-

cause the game emphasizes skill rather than chance,

players are free to make almost any transaction of their choice duringtheir turn. Land may be purchased, seismograph tests conducted, wellsdrilled and oil land developed with refineries, etc., as described. Asthe tokens 41 travel around the play path, the players collect fees androyalties or may be charged fees as their tokens stop on developed landof other palyers, determined by the matching colors of the regions 12 to17 and on the play path consisting of the spaces 20.

In connection with the term boom town and the creation of a boom town byplayers, each of the colored regions 12 to 17 within the area 1 1 is apotential boom town. For one of these regions to become an actual boomtown, oil must be discovered within that region, as described, and thenmust be piped by elements 44 to a refinery 43 also within the particularregion 12 through 17. An oil well on a numbered plot in one regionadjacent to another plot containing a refinery does not require a pipeline. Prior to any region 12 to 17 becoming a boom town, numbered plotsin that section may be purchased by any player. After the boom town isestablished, however, only those players, insiders," owning land in theboom town may purchase any additional land therein.

When a players token 41 stops on a lottery" space along the play path,he may roll the dice for prize money in a prescribed manner. A playerwhose token lands on the Land Tax space must pay a prescribed amount,such as $1,000 per numbered land tract owned by him, into the StateTreasury.

A player whose token stops on the Development tax space must similarlypay a specified amount per developed tract into the State Treasury.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and thatvarious changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may beresorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or scopeof the subjoined claims.

We claim:

1. A game apparatus comprising a game board having a playing race, saidplaying face including a marginal play path having numbered spaces, saidspaces arranged in plural distinctly colored groups around the playpath, said playing face including a central visibly outlined areacontaining a plurality of regions colored to correspond to said coloredgroups of spaces in the play path, said regions each containing numberedplots and the plot numbers corresponding to the numbers of the play pathspaces for a given color group of spaces, said game board having aconcealed internal chamber and an opening means for said chamber, saidchamber in superposed registering relation with said outlined area andconforming to the configuration of said area,

a plurality of permanent magnet elements placed with random spacinginside of said concealed chamber and lying beneath said outlined area ofsaid playing face, and a magnetic indicator shiftable over said playingface of the game board and responding to the presence of one of saidpermanent magnet elements to visibly indicate the proximity of saidelement and being representative of the discovery of oil within one ofsaid regions where said magnet element is located.

2. The structure of claim 1, and said magnetic indicator including areciprocatory plunger element including a part influenced by themagnetic field of one of said permanent magnet elements in said chamberto thereby move the plunger element to an active indicating position.

3. The structure of claim 2, and the polar relationship of saidpermanent magnet elements with said plunger element being such that thelatter is magnetically repelled by any underlying permanent magnetelement and thereby elevated to an indicating position visible to aplayer.

4. The structure of claim 1, and said game board formed in two hingedhalf sections which are foldable onto each other in a non-use position,said opening means of said concealed chamber comprising a pair of neaththe playing face, plural locator elements each in the form of apermanent magnet disposed randomly within the concealed chamber beneathsaid playing face of the game board, and a visual indicator deviceseparate from the game board and shiftable thereon, said indicatordevice comprising a housing and a magnetically operated movable plungercarried by the housing, said plunger moving to a visual indicatingposition in response to the magnetic force of one of said locatorelements lying below the indicator device as the indicator device isshifted over the playing face of the game board in various directionsseeking the location of said locator elements.

6. The structure of claim 5, and said game apparatus additionallycomprising a magnetic compass shiftable upon the playing face of thegame board and having a needle influenced by the presence of theconcealed locator elements in said chamber, whereby said compass may beemployed in the manner of a seismograph for simulated oil prospectingoperations.

7. The structure of claim 1, and said game apparatus additionallycomprising a magnetic compass forming a simulated seismograph, pluralplayer tokens, plural colored land ownership markers, and additionalplural game pieces indicative of established wells, refineries and pipelines within said regions.

8. The structure of claim 1, and said permanent magnet elementscomprising plate-like elements each provided on one flat face onlythereof with a non-slip substance enabling said elements to remainsubstantially fixed within said chamber after initial random placementtherein.

1. A game apparatus comprising a game board having a playing race, saidplaying face including a marginal play path having numbered spaces, saidspaces arranged in plural distinctly colored groups around the playpath, said playing face including a central visibly outlined areacontaining a plurality of regions colored to correspond to said coloredgroups of spaces in the play path, said regions each containing numberedplots and the plot numbers corresponding to the numbers of the play pathspaces for a given color group of spaces, said game board having aconcealed internal chamber and an opening means for said chamber, saidchamber in superposed registering relation with said outlined area andconforming to the configuration of said area, a plurality of permanentmagnet elements placed with random spacing inside of said concealedchamber and lying beneath said outlined area of said playing face, and amagnetic indicator shiftable over said playing face of the game boardand responding to the presence of one of said permanent magnet elementsto visibly indicate the proximity of said element and beingrepresentative of the discovery of oil within one of said regions wheresaid magnet element is located.
 2. The structure of claim 1, and saidmagnetic indicator including a reciprocatory plunger element including apart influenced by the magnetic field of one of said permanent magnetelements in said chamber to thereby move the plunger element to anactive indicating position.
 3. The structure of claim 2, and the polarrelationship of said permanent magnet elements with said plunger elementbeing such that the latter is magnetically repelled by any underlyingpermanent magnet element and thereby elevated to an indicating positionvisible to a player.
 4. The structure of claim 1, and said game boardformed in two hinged half sections which are foldable onto each other ina non-use position, said opening means of said concealed chambercomprising a pair of entrance slots in said game board half sectionsalong the hinge joint of said sections, said slots being exposed by thefolding of the half sections into superposed relation and said slotsbecoming aligned and concealed by the unfolding of the half sections toa flat coplanar game board playing position.
 5. A game apparatuscomprising a game board having a playing face and an interior concealedchamber beneath the playing face, plural locator elements each in theform of a permanent magnet disposed randomly within the concealedchamber beneath said playing face of the game board, and a visualindicator device separate from the game board and shiftable thereon,said indicator device comprising a housing and a magnetically operatedmovable plunger carried by the housing, said plunger moving to a visualindicating position in response to the magnetic force of one of saidlocator elements lying below the indicator device as the indicatordevice is shifted over the playing face of the game board in variousdirections seeking the location of said locator elements.
 6. Thestructure of claim 5, and said game apparatus additionally comprising amagnetic compass shiftable upon the playing face of the game board andhaving a needle influenced by the presence of the concealed locatorelements in said chamber, whereby said compass may be employed in themanner of a seismograph for simulated oil prospecting operations.
 7. Thestructure of claim 1, and said game apparatus additionally comprising amagnetic compass forming a simulated seismograph, plural player tokens,plural colored land ownership markers, and additional plural game piecesindicative of established wells, refineries and pipe lines within saidregions.
 8. The structUre of claim 1, and said permanent magnet elementscomprising plate-like elements each provided on one flat face onlythereof with a non-slip substance enabling said elements to remainsubstantially fixed within said chamber after initial random placementtherein.